Porsche confirms 295kW four-cylinder boxer engine for Boxster/Cayman

Porsche boss Matthias Mueller has confirmed long running rumours suggesting future incarnations of the Boxster and Cayman are in line to receive a four-cylinder boxer (or horizontally opposed) engine.

In an interview with Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport magazine published on Thursday, 60-year-old Muller said Porsche’s road going sports cars would follow the lead of the company’s hi-tech 919 Hybrid race car in receiving four-cylinder engines.

But while the 919 Hybrid runs a unique V4 engine with a yet to be official disclosed layout, the unit being readied for the Boxster and Cayman will follow the lead of Porsche’s classic six-cylinder by adopting a 180-degree horizontally opposed layout as part of a modular turbocharged boxer engine strategy.

“We will continue with the downsizing strategy and develop a new four-cylinder boxer engine, which will see service in the next-generation Boxster and Cayman,” said Muller. “We will not separate ourselves from efforts to reduce CO2”.

In that interview Mueller ruled out the new four-cylinder engines for use in Porsche’s performance icon, the 911.

"There is no idea to have a four-cylinder engine in a 911, he said at the time. "I think we are well prepared with the six-cylinder boxer engine so we will stay with that.”

When queried on the output of the new four-cylinder boxer engine, Muller said it would boast “up to 400ps (295kW)”. The existing 3.4-litre six-cylinder boxer engine used by the existing Boxster and Cayman develops 243kW and 250kW respectively in new GTS range topping models revealed earlier this month.